Today’s Darija word is jbha جبهة , that’s read as jabha in classical Arabic, and it means forehead.

jbha: Undefined feminine singular.
jjbha: Defined feminine singular.
jbâhî: Undefined feminine plural.
jjbâhî: Defined feminine plural.

Jbha has also another meaning. When you say that a person is really jbha, or “3ndo jjbha” (has it) عندو الجبهة that means that they are very bold. Like… really bold! You’d complain saying “mâ 3ndîsh jjbha” ” ما عنديش الجبهة “, (I have no forehead) meaning that you’re kind of shy. This word can also be used in Darija as an insult, when you mean that boldness turned into a saucy behaviour.

I have no apparent explanation for linking boldness to this part of your face, the forehead. Seriously I have no explanation, and I don’t think that you can find one neither.

Did you know?

In the Rif mountains, in the district Mtiwa that is part of Chefchaouen, in Northern Morocco; there is a little port town that is called El Jebha. [The way cities names are spelt sometimes – the French way – doesn’t respect any Arabic rules. J is a solar letter, and it can’t be associated to El. The L disappears and gives place to double J, as I explained before]. (Definite articles)

But why does this port have such a name?

“The name of the town is based on its location at the foot of a set of mountains. El Jebha is the Arabic equivalent of ‘forehead’; the mountains that surround El Jebha stand out as if the town is the forehead of a chain of mountains. Hence, the name El Jebha.” [Wikipedia]

Some dozens of bloggers, especially Moroccan ones, joined the initiative « Let’s blog usefully » (aka let’s blog useful) to blog about young Moroccan prisoners.

Children under the age of 18, who had committed some kind of delinquency, pay for it in prison. Making their stay in prison better is the first worry of the AACRPE 5 Association of Friends of Reform Centers and Childhood Protection), help make them reintegrate smoothly into the society is its second worry.

These kids need – among others- psychological support, education to not lose completely the time they spend in prison, and -above all- a society that cares for them once they get their freedom. What’s this freedom worth if they find – once out of prison – hostility in the air? What will be the difference between prison and a society that does not want them in?

These children have the right to have friends, dream of making a career and live their lives!

We do not want them to feel that the society is abandoning them because – for a mistake they had made – they had to spend some time in prison. We do not want a passive society that does not care to what happens to these prisoners inside and outside prison.

Many of us did not know about the AACRPE before this initiative. This was the occasion for us to discover it, and share this discovery with you. But above all, it’s an invitation to all of you to help out as much as you can. Any help will be much appreciated. In the image below you’ll find the bank account number of the association. For more information, please do contact bloguonsutile (at) gmail (dot) com.

Thanks for advance for your generosity!